30 Kisses
by dxoverdt
Summary: JakexRose oneshots set to the theme of LJ 30 Kisses. Latest: Forget Me Not. Tie this string around your finger.
1. That Spot

So yeah, each chapter is going to be a seperate Jake/Rose oneshot, set to a different LiveJournal 30 Kisses theme. OMG, I have to write 30 fics! What did I do to myself?

That Spot

Theme #3: jolt!

Rating: T

Summary: You know that spot, just behind the left ear? Yeah, that one.

Special thanks to my beta reader Tech-Man. XD

000

"So what is it about that spot," she asks him one day, on the rare occasion that they find themselves alone in the school hallways secluded from any Huntsclan watchful eye.

"Huh? What spot?" He tries to sound confused, but he knows exactly which spot she is talking about.

"This one," she breathes, just behind his left ear, lips lightly brushing against his skin. The sensation sends a concoction of excited sparks up and down his spine. Jake knows he must be blushing now because the heat forming on his cheeks feels like the burn from a thousand suns. He tries to casually side step away from her, because if she continues with this mischievous behavior Jake knows he will find himself in a very awkward situation.

"Where you going, dragon boy?" her voice is low and uncannily sultry. Jake starts to believe that he is already in deep trouble.

"Uh, nowhere, just uh . . ." his voice cracks, due to his current uneasiness, "why do you ask?"

"No reason," she says, in almost a sing-song voice, "Just curious." She takes a step closer to him and coos, her hands behind her back ever so innocent-like. Jake is starting to feel even more nervous, and the influx of heat bubbling up though his body is not helping matters at all.

"So uh, aren't you gonna be late for class?" he asks, trying ever so hard to change the subject.

"I suppose," that vixenish manner has stuck to her like glue. Before he even knows what is happening her lips are on him, brandishing that spot just behind his left ear.

His breath hitches.

"Just wanted to give you a goodbye kiss," she says coolly, turning to walk away and Jake can't help but watch the sway of her hips. At least she left before the situation turned unpleasant for both of them.

Minutes later he finds himself slumped against the lockers, trying to catch his breath. He reaches to touch the spot that she kissed, but hesitates and decides to get to class before he gets detention for being late.

At the end of the day that spot is still throbbing, sending jolts of bliss up and down his body. Jake now understands why that spot is so damn sensitive.


	2. Bubble Tea Yum Yum

**Title:** Bubble Tea Yum Yum

**Theme:** #27: overflow

**Rating:** PG

**Words:** 841

**Notes:** This is pure fluff. Yum.

**Summary:** In time, everyone learns to love tapioca balls in their milk tea.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own AD:JL, this is for fan enjoyment only.

000

The creases on her face tighten as her tongue darts around her mouth, chasing the sweetened balls of tapioca that have a consistency of something that isn't quite like pudding, but not like gum either. She is concentrating so hard on what is happening inside her mouth that her legs almost forget to move, resulting in her becoming an annoying roadblock on the busy, tourist and native filled sidewalk of Chinatown's Grand Street. Jake watches the expressions on her face change from curiosity to confusion, then to something in-between disgust and uncertainty. Her brow furrows further.

"I don't get it," she finally says, looking down at the oversized straw jutting out of the cutesy animal characters and bubblegum-pop Chinese writing on the flush plastic seal over her cup.

"What's not to get?" Jake asks, taking another draw from his drink, letting the flavors of red bean, black tea, cream and tapioca balls blend exquisitely under the crunch of his teeth.

"The cold, mango flavored green tea with heavy cream doesn't bother me; it's these weird, chewy balls that get sucked into my mouth every time I take a sip. It's like a rude intrusion," she pauses for her tongue to investigate another boba ball stuck on the roof of her mouth. Jake looks at her incredulously. She swallows. "It's weird," she says.

"It's delicious," he corrects her.

"But the balls," she whines, awkwardly chewing down on one, "have a weird texture and they taste funny."

"It's an acquired taste." He smirks, "Pretty soon you'll be addicted and begging the Mac Daddy Jake Long to get you more."

"I doubt it." She raises her eyebrows. Jake smirks some more. "And don't talk like that;" she semi-chides him, "you sound like a drug dealer."

Jake chuckles at the comment. "Just you watch," he taunts, "you won't be able to stay away from this stuff."

The light turns green and they cross the street.

She takes another sip, chewing some of the strange, gummy like spheres and outright swallowing others. Jake takes this opportunity to point out that even though she said this stuff is weird, she continues to drink it. Rose doesn't give him the satisfaction of responding.

She thinks back to an hour ago, when Jake suggested they go out for boba. Rose thought it was some sort of magical sweet, clueless of what she was bound to experience. As they entered the chic teahouse decorated with Ming Dynasty teapots and widescreen plasma TVs playing the latest pop music videos from China and Taiwan, Rose felt uncomfortably out of place. She grossly imagined her bright blonde hair stuck up like a sore thumb against the sea of black and bleached-brown and swirling waves of foreign tongues. To say the least, Rose was out of her element.

Jake ordered for the both of them, taking careful measure to pick something her taste buds wouldn't refute. While the two waited for the drinks to be made, Jake casually exchanged a few words in Cantonese with the pretty, button nosed cashier behind the counter. Rose tried her best not to look jealous as unfamiliar words flowed from his mouth in an eloquent waterfall, spiraling around the room in a dizzying rush, causing the casher to giggle.

She pulls her mind out of remission and turns to Jake for questioning. "What were you talking about with that girl behind the counter," she asks, trying hard not to sound accusing and ire, because she's not jealous. Really.

He pauses for a moment to read her face. The clogs turn in his brain as he tries to decide weather she is mad, jealous, insecure or all of the above. He settles for an answer then replies, "I was just telling her it was your first time experiencing milk tea and boba. She said that mango was a good choice for newbie's, and she also said that you are very pretty." His smile is so sincere that Rose starts to feel slightly stupid for making such a big deal over the situation. A faint blush creeps over her cheeks and she moves to hold his hand. Hiding her embarrassment, she takes another sip of tea.

"Mmm," she finally grunts through closed lips. Jake tightens his hold on her hand. She swallows.

"But this is still weird," she tells him. It is unclear whether or not she is referencing the tea, their relationship, or the thousands of uncertainties, dangers and opposites that surround them. Sensing her meaning, a placid calm washes over Jake's face and he nods understandingly. He watches with interest as her soft pink tongue darts out of her mouth and her eyelashes flutter as she finishes the last bit of her drink. Jake resists the urge to tackle and kiss her senseless.

"I guess I could get used to it," she finally concedes. She looks up at him with dewy eyes and a soft smile that makes his insides tumble and twirl.

Jake makes a mental note to always take her out for milk tea with pearls.

000

For those of you who don't know, boba milk tea is like the greatest invention ever. At first it's weird, but it slowly grows on you. I mean, who doesn't like flavored tea with heavy cream? Come on now. Also, thanks to Tech-Man for the beta read.


	3. River Run Red

**Title:** River Run Red  
**By:** dxoverdt  
**Pairing:** Jake x Rose  
**Fandom:** AD:JL  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Theme: **#19 Red  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own AD:JL, this is for fan enjoyment only.

ZOMG! I am totally in love with kpkrazy right now. Best. Muse. Ever. This fic was nothing but a few fragments of angst until she came along and whipped it into shape. huggles Thanks to Techman for the beta read. XD

000

Red . . . like water, like life. Swirling and rushing through liquid-sharp love intertwined with hate. She inhales. He exhales . . . and thick rivers flow between them. Salty seas pour down in all at once soft and searing drops . . .

_'O brawling love; O loving hate...'_

The moon knows blood will be spilt here tonight.

Pain. Blistering pain. It travels through her body, scorching her nerves and dulling her senses. She feels Jake pressed up against her, heavy and unyielding. It's not the reason why she finds it so hard to breathe.

The sword has penetrated through them both. Like lovers on a skewer, pinned between a wall and the invisible boundary of a raging war. All she wants to do is close her eyes and let this nightmare dissolve from the world.

"Rose. . ." Someone is calling for her. "Rose." Is that Jake? He sounds so far away. "Rose!" Her pupils try to focus on the face before her. "Rose!" He is screaming. "Don't close your eyes! You have to stay awake, Rose!" He shakes her head, forcing her to focus. "Rose, do you hear me?!"

She finally sees Jake in front of her, brown eyes full of concern and rage. She sees the anger in his pupils, the tenseness of his muscles, and the blood trickling down his chin. She wants to reach up and wipe it away. Clean his face, clean his conscience, clean up this mess that she has made.

"Rose! Stay with me!' He shakes her head. "I'm going to pull out the sword, but you _cannot_ close your eyes! Do you understand me!?" He is yelling at her, fishing for a reaction, but she can barely hear him over the ringing pulse in her ears. She finds the strength to nod. He forms his tail.

It coils around the hilt of the katana that is embedded between them. He props her up with his arms, and pulls. She screams. The sword has pierced through her soul.

It's on the ground now, clattering in the breeze. Like metal on concrete, tangible and real. She feels the ghost of the blade still inside her, still brandishing her. It makes her feel so cold but the night is warm and the moon is watching, knowing.

"Rose!" She knows Jake is calling to her, but she cannot see him, cannot feel him beside her. All she can feel is the insipid numbness of metal in flesh.

"Rose you have to listen to me. I took out the sword but you have to keep pressure on the wound. You have to press down, hard!"

She thinks she hears him tell her that it's the difference between 4 and 20 minutes left to live, but she's not sure. She presses down hard anyway.

He moves to stand up, blood oozing from the puncture wound through his stomach. Jake is strong, stronger than anything Rose ever hopes to achieve. To him the wound is merely a scratch, a nuisance of a sting in the pit of his belly reminding him that Rose is waiting, watching, bleeding, dying.

The curtain of surreality separating them from the brutal war is wearing thin. Blue flames engulf Jake's body and he emerges towering and red with fire surging through his veins, the wound now an afterthought evaporating into his armored scales.

"Stay with me," he tells her. She vaguely registers soft lips brushing gently against her damp cheek and nods understandingly.

He turns, wings spread and his body charged to leave, intent on breaking every single bone belonging to the person who did this to Rose . . . _his_ Rose.

Through slitted lids she watches him go, watches him pounce, watches him destroy. Jagged talons slice through unprotected flesh, guttural growls implode eardrums.

Wrists are snapped, bones are shattered and blood spills to the ground. He breathes fire, burning some, sending others in terrified retreat. A doppelganger sneaks up behind one clan member, launching him into the air with a mighty blow. Another clone joins him, serving out punches . . . 1, 2, 3, then a powerful whip of his tail sends the unfortunate ninja sailing to the ground. Rose can almost feel the impact. Her breath hitches and she coughs up blood, but that doesn't stop her from watching the nightmare unfold before her. Jake doesn't kill. Jake is no murderer, but this . . . Rose knows death is a far better fate then what Jake is doing to them now.

From her distance she watches the war rage on. She sees punches thrown and can almost hear the sickening crack of bone impacting bone. Perhaps her mind is filling in the blanks for her, for she has heard that sound within the Huntsclan far too often. And now, her wicked past has caught up to her, exploding into this reckless display of spears and claws. _Traitor_, they said, _nothing but sentences of high treason_. Now she is paying a mighty price for her sins, for her retribution. But Jake is paying too. He is fighting for her, he is loving her, he is spindling off all her hate and injustice. He is doing this to right his wrongs, to right _her_ wrongs, and because she knows this she'll hang on for just a little bit longer. The moon casts its resplendent light over her pale body.

Red, she thinks to herself, almost smiling, is such a beautiful color.

000

Credits: _'O brawling love; O loving hate...'_ If you haven't guessed already, a line from _Romeo and Juleit_ as suggested by the lovely kpkrazy.

_The moon knows blood will be spilt here tonight_ and _The moon casts its resplendent light over her pale body_ are adapted lines from the poem "The Moon's Secret" by Finish poet Eidth Södergran. Huzzah! XD


	4. Perfect Blue

**Title:** Perfect Blue  
**Author:** dxoverdt  
**Fandom:** AD:JL  
**Pairing:** JakexRose  
**Theme:** #29, the sound of waves  
**Rating:** T  
**Words:** 1,139  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own AD:JL, this is for fan enjoyment only.

000

"It's weird," he says, leaning back onto his elbows and wriggling his toes in the sand, "that people park their cars on drive ways, but drive them on parkways."

Rose giggles at his silly attempt at humor. "Yeah, but who owns a car in New York, let alone has a driveway to park it on."

"Touché," he shoots back, mentally giving her props for the witty comeback. "That's why the Mac Daddy Jake Long has the flyest skateboard on the East side, impressing all the high school honeys," he gives her a playful wink before shielding his eyes from the blinding sun and enjoys her cheerful laughter.

"Speaking of impressing the honeys, when are you gonna teach me how to skate?" she asks, flashing him a smile that would melt a snowman in the North Pole.

"Right now!" He jumps up wildly, flinging sand every which way.

"Here?" she asks skeptically, "on the beach?"

"Yeah, it's the best place to learn," he tells her as if everyone in the world knows this fact.

"But what about the sand? Won't it get all in the spokes and mess up your wheels?"

"Nope." He proclaims loudly. "That's the beauty of learning at the beach, if you fall, you won't get hurt."

"But," she starts, unaware that she will not win this argument.

"No buts," he cuts her off. "What? Is the big bad Hunts girl afraid of a widdle skate board?"

"Am not!" she shoots back at him.

"Uh oh, here comes the Hunts-chicken. Magical creatures run for you lives!" He grabs his board and runs towards the waves, flailing his arms and dramatically screaming all the way to the salty seas.

Rose feels her eyebrow twitch and can almost hear her mental restraint snap. No one calls her a chicken and gets away with it; no one.

"Get back here dragon boy, so I can give you something to really scream about!" she yells at him, but her voice is lost amongst thunderous crashing of the waves.

"What was that?" Jake props a hand behind his ear, "can't hear you over the sound of the ocean. You better come down here and say it to my face."

"Eeewwwerrrr!" Rose stomps over to his location with fists tightly clenched.

"I said-" the words stop flowing from her mouth as a firm dragon tail wraps around her mid-section and promptly tosses her into the water like a rag doll. She floats in the murky swirls of sand, salt, and plankton in stunned silence, then wraps her mind around the situation and springs above the surface, finding her footing in the soaked sand.

"You little-" she starts, but as if to add insult to injury, is cut off by a giant wave crashing into her. Jake finds himself rolling on the ground, unable to control his laughter. After two more attempts, Rose finally makes it to the shore, seething so irately that the water is literally steaming off of her.

She crosses her arms and pouts. "Not funny," she tells him dryly.

"Are you kidding me?" he stifles out between laughs, "that was hilarious. You took the bait like a sucker. You were so mad you didn't even notice what I was planning, and then BAM!" his fist impacts his palm for effect, "Right into the water!" He places a hand on his stomach to calm himself down from the hysterical chuckles. "Besides," he continues, "you have your swim suit on anyways, so don't be crying about it."

"Yeah, under my clothes!" she screams at him, not taking kindly to his observations. Furiously, she struggles to pull off her sopping wet shirt and flings it onto Jake. It lands with the satisfying slapping sound of wet fabric colliding with dry skin.

"Ouch, that's cold," Jake yelps as he pushes the offending garment off of his chest.

She doesn't pay attention to him, "Now what am I going to wear home? This was the only pair of clothes I brought!" She continues to rant, unaware of Jake's eyes firmly glued to the site of her glittery pink bikini top. Her hands move to unzip her drenched jeans that are now starting to feel very uncomfortable with all the sand trapped inside. "Ugggh, what is it with you today! You're acting so weird and pulling pranks. That's so immature," she finishes as she struggles out of the last pant leg and tosses the denims towards Jake's head. He bats it away with ease, keeping his eyes transfixed on her shimmering sun kissed skin and gentle curves.

"What?" She finally asks him, just now noticing his dopey stare. She crosses her arms and arrogantly turns up her nose. "You're staring at me like I have kelp all over my body or something." She lifts up her arms to inspect for any impurities. Not finding anything stare worthy, she shifts her gaze back over to Jake, only to notice him sporting a gigantic mischievous grin. Realization spreads across her face as she places hands on her hips and narrows her eyes slightly. "Like what you see?" she coos, the words sliding from her mouth like silk. He sits up with knees slightly bent and pulls at the cuffs of his board shorts while nodding in affirmation. She looks at the ground sheepishly, "So I guess this means you don't practice skateboarding on the sand."

"Not a chance," he tells her smugly.

"So are you gonna tell me that gullible is not a word in the dictionary too?" she asks while a small smile pulls at the corners of her lips.

"I'll save that for tomorrow," he says and motions for her to sit down next to him. As she kneels down, he catches a glimpse of the ocean and sky reflected in her eyes, melding with her eye color into a perfect blue. He plants a chaste kiss on her lips then rests his forehead on hers while stroking her cheek.

"You know what this means now, right?" she asks with a playful grin tugging at her mouth. He grunts a "mmmm" in response. "Payback," she whispers as her fingers dart up his neck and stroke the sensitive flesh behind his left ear. She watches him shiver under her touch.

With lightning speed he grasps her hand and pulls it away. "Don't," he tells her, his voice husky and dry, "not when you are so vulnerable right now." He scopes her up into his lap and wraps his arms around her slender waist.

"Oh, is the dragon having problems with self control," she taunts him.

"Maybe," he breathes and leans back onto his elbows, causing her to fall onto him. She picks herself up and giggles, clenching some sand between her toes. He looks into her eyes again and smiles.

"_Yeah_," he thinks to him self, "_perfect blue_."

FIN

000

So this was supposed to be a flash fic, but turned into 1000+ words. (headdesk) Oh well, at least it's fun cute fluffy shmoop that everyone can enjoy. Special thanks to Techman for betaing this so fast. XD


	5. Tea Time

**Title:** Tea Time  
**Pairing:** JakexRose  
**Theme:** #22, cradle  
**Rating:** PG  
**Words:** 1,468  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own AD:JL, this is for fan enjoyment only.

Happy New Year everyone! Ok, so this was supposed to go out a few weeks ago, but I kinda forgot. Oops. Hopefully not too much magic has been stripped since now the holidays are over. As always, thanks to Techman for the beta read. Enjoy!

000

Rose quietly steps into Canal Street Electronics and promptly pauses to sneeze then shiver, blowing her chances of trying to sneak up on Jake and plant a quick kiss behind his left ear. Perhaps it is better this way, because her frigid lips and nose pressed against his warm skin might have caused him to yelp in surprise and accidentally smack her across the room, unaware it was only her trying to act devious. Knowing she no longer has to be stealthily quiet anymore, Rose proceeds to stomp the thick layer of snow off her boots and brushes the rest off her cap, jacket and frilly pink mittens. She never really understood why she liked pink so much, being in the Huntsclan and all. Maybe it was a way to shield her self from the harsh personality the Huntsclan imposed on her, an identity of sorts. As Rose, she could slip under the radar undetected by the masses and live her life as a normal teenage girl, pretending all the Clan related nightmares were just that: nightmares.

"Hey," a distant voice muffled by walls and curtains calls out to her, "come back here, I have something to show you."

She smiles. Jake can identify her not only from the soft whisper of her voice, but by the cute sounds of her sneezes and coughs. She treads lightly through the shop, taking careful measure to not drop piles of dirty snow on Lao Shi's clean floors.

"Hi," she says, ducking under the thick blue drape that separates the private back room from the rest of the store. Her eyes take in the sight of several narrow shelves and cabinets packed to the brim with a disarray of oddly shaped bottles, flasks, jars filled with glittering powders and translucent urns containing animal organs and bits of skin, something she decides not to dwell to deeply on. In the center of the room she spies a cherry wood table supporting two steaming hot cups of tea. She moves to the table to sit.

"You wanted to show me something, dragon boy?" she asks as Jake sits down next to her at the table.

"Girl, I thought you were _so_ over that nickname," he mocks her, playfully pushing at her arm. Apparently, the Machiavellian manner never left her as she watches his every move and expression, waiting for the opportune moment to surprise him with a kiss on his 'special' spot, because it is ever so fun to watch him melt into a pile of blissful goo. Eyes not leaving him, she reaches to wrap her fingers around the handle-less teacup to warm up her chilly hands and stop the shivers from traveling up her spine. The realization never clicks in her head that the shivers have nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with sitting so close to a beamingly happy Jake.

"I'll never get over that nickname, dra-gon-boy," she tells him coyly, drawing out the name as she caresses each syllable on her silky pink tongue before letting them escape through her lips one by one. She swears she sees him slightly flinch and almost choke on his sip of tea. He sets the cup down and stares at her, mimicking the sly grin plastered across her face. His eyes, however, gleam with excitement, and she can tell from his body langue that if he doesn't show her whatever it is he wants to show her within the next few minutes, she's going to be combing pieces of exploded jubilant Jake out of her hair for weeks.

"So what did you want to show me?" she recedes, acknowledging that any attempts of carrying out her mission of seduction will have little to no effect on Jake right now. Her eyes turn to the teacup and watch as wisps of steam waft up the sweet fragrant sent then evaporate into the air. Tea, Jake is always drinking tea, and not the prepackaged sad excuse for tea leaves stuff found in supermarkets. Jake drinks the good stuff: hand rolled and perfectly dried baby green tea leaves brewed in scalding hot water for the perfect claiming cup each time. Caffeine, yes, that's a plus, but it doesn't have nearly the same effect as coffee or the less preferred magical steroids the Huntsclan forced her to take during extreme training. She sighs into her cup wondering how her thoughts managed to tangle with the Huntsclan again. The sound of Jake's giddy voice tears her from her daydreaming.

"This," he almost squeaks, trying very hard to control his excitement, "is for you." He presents to her a small box wrapped in festive holiday foil with a charming lopsided bow resting on top. An astonished Rose stares at the package for a few seconds before her brain starts up again and she realizes today is the day her and Jake are suppose to exchange holiday gifts. The words "crap" and a few other explicatives (bad words) pass through her mind as she feels her heart sink into the pit of her stomach. How could she forget? Why did she allow herself to become so wrapped up into Huntsclan matters and school, only to completely forget about the simple things that are important to her? She opens her mouth to spew out some lame excuse.

"Jake, I-"

"Well? What are you waiting for? Open it!" he cuts her off. Complying, Rose unties the bow and lifts the lid. Her heart sinks a little more. Inside lays a ring shaped gold pendent strung on a delicate, iridescent pixie chain. The main body is engraved with Chinese characters and hollow gold tubes hang down from the circle supported by elvish style hooks. As she lifts the necklace out of the box, the pipes clang together in a pleasing chord, reminding her of the old unicorn wind chime that hung from her room's balcony in the old gothic apartment in upstate Manhattan that the Huntsmaster and she used to live in.

"It's beautiful," she mutters softly. The gift is so perfect she really has no idea what to say.

"It's a healing charm," he tells her proudly. His smile is so bright it could cut through her deepest fears. "I made it myself." He grabs for the chimes and continues with an explanation, "These resonate at a certain magical frequency that is specific to your body type and encourage your cells to regenerate faster when you get a wound." The chimes fall from his grasp and radiate out the peaceful harmonics. "Go on, try it on!"

She pulls the chain around her neck but ends up stumbling with the fastener in her disheartened state.

"Here," Jake says as he grabs hold of the clasp and moves to fasten it behind her neck. Their cheeks graze against one another as he fiddles with the tiny clip. He pauses for a moment to drink in her sweet scent. "You smell good," he murmurs into her ear, then pulls away to see a faint blush creep across her face. Instead he notices the glassy sheen in her eyes of unshed tears. He inwardly smiles at the situation.

"Jake I-"

"Forgot?" he finishes for her. She nods in affirmation because the thousands of things she wants to tell him have lodged themselves in her throat and refuse to let her speak.

"Hey," he encompasses her trembling hands between the gentle warmth of his palms. Rose feels the tips of her ears grow hot. "Don't worry about it," he tells her sincerely.

"I'm such an idiot!" she manages to push out before tears start falling down her cheeks. Not letting her utter another word, Jake pulls her towards him into a deep embrace.

She tries to stifle her sobs as he presses her closer against his chest and entwines his fingers in her hair. "Shhh," he breaths out softly. "Don't worry about it. It's no big deal." He slowly rocks back and forth until she stops shuddering in his arms. After the wells in her eyes have run dry, she pulls back, only to receive a chaste kiss on her forehead. His lips are warm and soft, and she can't help but think that her heart has just skipped a beat.

"So, wanna know how you can make it up to me?"

"How?" she asks skeptically, cocking an eyebrow.

"Buy me some boba." She appreciates the gentleness of his voice and matches his smile.

"Sure," she says, "lychee with mango jelly?"

"Girl, you know me too well." He playfully pokes her in the side to lighten the mood, and she giggles in surprise. Her laugh is sharp and bright, like dandelions first blooming in the springtime.

Jake thinks to himself that this is the best present she could ever give him.

End.

000

As always, your reviews and comments are greatly appreciated. XD


	6. Winter Warmth

**Title: ** Winter Warmth  
**Pairing:** JakexRose  
**Theme:** #1, news  
**Rating:** PG  
**Words:** 540  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own AD:JL, this is for fan enjoyment only.

Special thanks to Tech-man for the speedy beta read (and the title). Ok, yes, this is short, but you have to understand that I had this idea for an awesome beginning, and then well . . . I kinda lost sight of where I was going. Oh well, it's fluffy and sweet, and really, that's all we need for JakexRose fic.

000

Rose stands complacent as the bitter cold caressed her lips. Winter in New York was always exciting. White crowned trees, snow dusted rooftops and dazzling displays of holiday lights always turned the majestic city into an even more majestic winter wonderland. But this year was different. Snow refused to fall, yet the insistent cold bellowed through the streets, freezing the sidewalks and hardening hearts. This made for rather unpleasant nighttime patrols, made even more unpleasant by her "Dwidle-De and Dwidle-Dumb" wanna-be companions. The only silver lining was the off chance she got to engage in play-battle with her audacious boyfriend and seeing Jake, in dragon form or not, made any day ten times better. Dating a dragon did have its drawbacks, such as secret meetings, backstabbing her superiors and dates ruined by "duty calls," but for the most part things sailed relatively smoothly.

Relatively.

Rose sighs, shifts, stretches, and then looks around for any evidence of a special someone coming towards her. Seeing no one, she exhales a dejected breath of air and dully watches as the cold morphs it into a fluffy white cloud that spins and contorts until it evaporates into nothingness. She watches as more wisps of visible air peter out of her mouth and transform into nebulas shapes of flower petals, teacups and dragons. Wait? Dragons? And why are they on fire? Rose stumbles out of her reverie and turns to see a complacent Jake standing behind her, smoke swirls rising from his mouth.

"I see someone has been working on their fire breathing," she coos.

"That was nothing," he pulls in a deep breath of air; then blows out the fiery forms of a long slinky dragon intertwined with a single stemmed rose. He puffs out his chest in pride at the sight of an electrified smile spreading across Rose's delicate face.

"So do you do children's birthday parties too?" she teases. He shoots her a sly look.

"Baby doll, please," he saunters over and takes her hands into his own. "Little children can't handle _this_ firepower." The low winter sun reflects off his smile in a dazzling array.

"Oh?" She raises an eyebrow and soaks in the gentle heat radiating off his always warm body.

"Maybe you can't handle it either," he challenges her. She flashes a smile to match his.

"News flash, dragon boy," she flips over her hand, palm side up, revealing the dragon shaped birthmark. "I was born to handle the heat."

"Care to put your money where your mouth is?" He pulls her chilly hands towards his lips and blows a gentle warm breeze across them, watching intently as a faint blush paints the tips of her ears and cheeks. Her lashes flutter shut and her body tips to lean into him slightly.

"Maybe," she mutters into his ear, taking full advantage of the closeness and warmth leeching. Jake takes the opportunity to encircle his arms around her tiny waist and brush his tepid lips against hers. She falls into him completely, allowing his sizzling mouth to warm up her own. Rose can't help but think this moment wouldn't be perfect with anyone else.

Yeah, dating a dragon had its drawbacks, but the benefits seemed to make nothing else matter.

FIN


	7. Race

**Title:** Race  
**Theme:** #9, dash  
**Rating:** PG  
**Words:** 100  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own AD:JL, this is for fan enjoyment only.

000

She runs beside him, her perfectly braided hair whipping in the breeze. Her feet barely make a sound as she jumps from rooftop to rooftop, chasing after the swollen golden moon. Tonight is special because tonight they are hunting together. The who and why and not important, only the how and when.

How long can they keep flying low.

When will it all come crashing down.

Their love: sacred. Their relationship: forbidden. There will be no happy ending and there will be no end to this race, but that doesn't stop them from trying. So they fight. Together, they fight.


	8. Forget Me Not

**Title:** Forget Me Not  
**Theme:** #1, look over here  
**Rating:** G  
**Words:** 188  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own AD:JL, this is for fan enjoyment only.

000

_You forgot me._

The street is busy and loud as the odd mix of locals, school children and tourists shuffle along in the beating sun. Jake finds it hard to move, hard to breathe.

_You forgot me, then you left me._

She is standing in front of him, oblivious to his staring. He found her, finally, after all these months, and now he doesn't know what to say.

_Look over here._

She puts away the water bottle that she was drinking from a moment ago and adjusts the strap on her pack. She stands patiently, waiting for the light to turn green. Her sun kissed skin gleams in the light from a damp layer of sweat and her hair has gone flat and is sticking to her face, but to Jake, she looks like a goddess.

_Look over here and look at me._

He wants her to notice, he wants to grab her attention somehow, but he knows that a fleeting smile or a catch of the eye will not heal a year's worth of pain.

_Remember me._

She crosses the street and Jake is still standing, waiting.

000

. . . tie this string around your finger and forget me not . . .

000


End file.
